Who is Sadanand Vasant Date? New Director General of India’s counter-terror agency NIA
Sadanand Vasant Date
Maharashtra Anti-Terrorism Squad (ATS) chief Sadanand Vasant Date has been designated as the Director General of the National Investigation Agency (NIA), a premier counter-terrorism agency in India responsible for investigating and prosecuting offences affecting the security of India.
This comes after a directive from the Personnel Ministry. An IPS officer of the 1990 batch from the Maharashtra cadre, Date will succeed Dinkar Gupta upon his superannuation on March 31.
The Ministry of Personnel announced that the Appointments Committee of the Cabinet (ACC) has approved the appointment of Vasant Date until hissuperannuation on December 31, 2026.
Who isSadanand Vasant Date?
Sadanand Date has a distinguished career spanning various roles within law enforcement.
Prior to his appointment as NIA Director General, he served in crucial positions in the Central Reserve Police Force (CRPF), and Intelligence Bureau (IB).
Notably, Date played a pivotal role in tackling high-profile cases during his tenure with the ATS, including the arrest of espionage suspect Pradeep Kurulkar and the apprehension of terrorists affiliated with the ISI.
Date's remarkable achievements also extend to his earlier roles, such as his contribution to dismantling the Ravi Pujari gang while leading the Mumbai Crime Branch.
His grit during critical situations earned him accolades, notably during the 26/11 attacks on Mumbai, where a series of coordinated terrorist attacks that took place from November 26 to 29, 2008 by gunmen associated with the Pakistan-based militant group Lashkar-e-Taiba.
Date's bravery was instrumental in capturing Ajmal Kasab alive, one of the gunmen involved in the attacks who was sentenced to death by hanging, and later got executed on November 21, 2012.
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Reflecting on his experiences, Date at the time reportedly said, "The 26/11 attack is the most challenging incident of my career and will stay with me for life. I tried to do my best according to my abilities."
Meanwhile, Rajeev Kumar Sharma, also a 1990-batch IPS officer but from the Rajasthan cadre, has been named as the Director General of the Bureau of Police Research & Development. Sharma's term will continue until June 30, 2026.
(With inputs from agencies)